Antagonists
The Big Bad is an iconic term originally introduced in Buffy, the vampire slayer, always referring to the annual villain or villains or any other main antagonist force each season. Seasons of Dexter, like the books, have at least one "Big Bad" whose story arc covers the entire season. Season One Brian Moser, under the name of Rudy Cooper, is the first season's Big Bad. Dubbed the "Ice Truck Killer" by Miami Metro PD, Brian is actually Dexter's older brother and uses his victims in an elaborate scheme to help Dexter remember his past and reunite them as a family. Dexter eventually uncovers his origins, but rejects Brian in favor of the life he has managed to live using the Code of Harry. Knowing Brian will never stop trying to "free" him from his normal life, Dexter kills him, making it look like a suicide. Season Two James Doakes and Lila are the second season's Big Bads, but for completely different reasons. Lila, whom Dexter meets while attending a narcotics anonymous meeting (an act he is putting on as part of a lie to Rita) is a sociopath with a propensity to burn things. She and Dexter form a complicated relationship as Dexter believes she can help him resist his Dark Passenger, while Lila believes Dexter is her soul mate and is willing to harm anyone who she sees an obstacle to them being together. Dexter eventually realizes her dark obsession with him and breaks things off, which leads to Lila stalking him and the other people in his life. Sgt. Doakes, who was always weirded out by Dexter, is now convinced that Dexter is up to no good and actively stalks him, which prevents Dexter from satisfying his homicidal urges. Dexter is able to shake him for a while, but Doakes eventually catches Dexter red-handed by placing a GPS tracker on his boat, the Slice of Life. Dexter manages to overpower Doakes and holds him captive for several days inside a remote cabin in the Everglades. Even though it would make life easier for him, Dexter refuses to kill Doakes because he does not fit the code. During his captivity, Doakes and Dexter have several conversations that show the two understand each other more than either was willing to admit before. Dexter, knowing he can't kill Doakes, begins to plant evidence to frame him for Dexter's own crimes, but eventually resigns to the idea that he must turn himself in. The last time Dexter and Doakes speak, Dexter tells him he really enjoyed being able to speak openly and honestly with him. Lila and Doakes meet for the first and only time when a distraught Lila steals Dexter's GPS and uses it to find the cabin, where she finds Doakes still in captivity. Doakes reveals that Dexter is a serial killer, but rather than set him free, Lila decides instead to kill Doakes. She does so to remove another threat to her relationship with Dexter and because she believes being a killer like him will bring them closer together. She blows up the cabin, killing Doakes and inadvertently completing Dexter's frame job on him before Dexter is able to turn himself in. When Dexter rejects her again, Lila tries to kill him along with Astor and Cody before fleeing the country. Dexter eventually tracks her down in Paris where he quickly kills her. Season Three Assistant Distract Attorney Miguel Prado is the Big Bad of season 3 along with George Washington King, whom the Miami Metro Police refer to as "The Skinner." Both men become part of Dexter's life as result of Dexter's victim Freebo. When Dexter first attempt to kill Freebo, he is attacked by Oscar Prado, whom he kills in self defense. Dexter is able to frame Freebo for the crime, but after hunting down and kill Freebo himself, he is caught buy Miguel, who, rather than turn Dexter in, thanks him and the two becomes friends. An uneasy trust builds between the two men, and with Dexter eventually opening up about his other vigilante murders after Miguel makes it clear he supports such a thing and shows and interest in participating himself. Though Dexter resists at first, he eventually teaches Miguel some of his methods and code. After Miguel commits his first murder with Dexter, though, he has bloodlust and murders a defense attorney he dislikes. When Dexter chastises him for this, the two struggle to gain leverage over the other. Meanwhile, King, a former Nicaraguan solider working as a tree-trimmer, begins searching for Freebo, who owes him a large sum of money. When is unable to find Freebo, he begins torturing and killing those with ties to him. He is dubbed "The Skinner" after his chosen method of torture. Dexter ultimately decides he must kill Miguel to stop him and he does so by straggling him and framing the death on King. Though Dexter is not heavily involved with the Skinner case, he knows enough to copy the MO of King. However, before he is killed, Miguel, in an effort to have Dexter taken out, tells King that Dexter is the only person who knows the location of Freebo. King kidnaps Dexter and prepares to torture him but Dexter manages to break free and kill him. Season Four Arthur Mitchell, also known as the Trinity Killer, is the Big Bad of Season 4. After discovering that Mitchell has a family and has successfully lived a dual life for more than 30 years as an active serial killer, Dexter tries to befriend him in an effort to learn how he does it. Though he knows the risk Mitchell poses, Dexter lets him live on several occasions, even going as far as to stopping Mitchell from committing suicide, because he thinks he can learn from him. Eventually, Dexter discovers Mitchell's "happy" home life is a sham, and his family are really just terrified of the mentally and emotionally unstable Mitchell. Mitchell, however, figures out Dexter's deception, and while he thinks Dexter is only trying to extort him, he threatens to destroy Dexter's life if he doesn't leave him alone. Dexter eventually manages to trap and kill Mitchell, but not before Mitchell made good on his promise to destroy Dexter's life. After disposing of Mitchell's remains, Dexter comes home to find his wife, Rita, dead as Mitchell's final victim. Category:Aliases